Into the Forest: The Miraculous and Misfortunate
by Littlemixup
Summary: The day that Marinette and Adrien get into the schools for Chaos and Order is the best. Until they get to school and find they don't get along with the other's superhero persona. But there's a dark plot stirring from deep in the forbidden woods, and a mystery that only they can solve. Will they be able to battle family, friends and villains alike, as well as love for each other?
1. What's in the envelope?

**Hi everyone! **

**This is a new story that is cowritten between me and my friend DearestMrIcarus. We really hope you like it!**

**This chapter is written by Icarus, so all the credit to him for this one, let us know what you think in the comments!**

Adrien clutched the envelope as he accepted it from the special courier. This was either his ticket to salvation or the document exiling him to years of torment.

Closing the front door, he took a moment to examine the envelope carrying his pronouncement.

It was a creamy eggshell white; sealed with golden wax which bore the official crest of the schools: a circle with four ladybug dots around the edges and a paw print in the centre. Aside from the seal, it was without any ornate designs or patterns. In beautiful ebony writing "Adrien Agreste" was painstakingly transcribed above his home address.

In the corner, the sender was clearly displayed, "Twin Miraculous Academies: Office of Admissions".

His father, who had appeared behind him, spoke proddingly.

"Well go ahead, open it".

With trembling hands, Adrien carefully slid the letter opener across the surface of the paper, effectively slitting the envelope open. He removed the letter, and began scanning it.

"Dear Monsieur Agreste,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Miraculous School of Chaos..."

Adrien had gotten no farther, when he ripped the letter in half, and stormed towards his room.

Gabriel caught up to him and placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Adrien, what's wrong? Were you not accepted into one of the schools?" His father implored.

"No, I got an acceptance letter from the wrong school! I got an acceptance letter for the school of the misfortunate!" he bemoaned, using a slang term to reference to the less popular School of Chaos.

"Adrien, you were still accepted into one of the only two miraculous-bearing schools in the country. And the school of Chaos is just as good as the school of Order. I'll hear none of that 'Miraculous and Misfortunate' nonsense" Gabriel rebuked.

Adrien loosened himself from his father's grip and flounced away.

After an hour of silent complaint, Adrien finally ventured to look at the rest of the letter, starting where he left off.

"...for the following school year. We have taken the liberty of transferring your official school records. "

"Monsieur Agreste, with the recent vacancy of the position of the Destruction Miraculous, the Office of Admissions has spent countless hours searching for a qualified replacement. Of thousands of applicants, you have been selected."

"Plagg, the Cat Kwami, will instruct you on the capabilities of the ring (your Miraculous). It is essential that you provide your Kwami with sustenance, as they will be providing you with your powers. Plagg is partial to camembert cheese. It is recommended that you begin to consider an alias fitting your power, as you will be asked to provide one on the first day of class. Note that this alias should not be associated with your civilian identity."

"We wish you the best this upcoming year, M Agreste."

"Signed,  
Headmaster Damocles"

He was still bitter, but if he was condemned to be in the school of misfits, he was glad he would at least bear the honoured title "Destruction" Miraculous holder.

Each school had a pair with opposite powers. Sometimes this meant some titles were less than desirable. Holders of powers like: Focus/Distraction, Patience/Impatience, and Tranquility/Volatility were some examples. Generally the more positive attribute (and therefore cooler associated powers) belonged to the School of Order, while the title in opposition was banished to the School of Chaos.

This is what led to the schools being informally known as the Schools of the Miraculous and Misfortunate.

"I'll show them," he vowed, "I'll show them all how good I am. By the end of the year, everyone will be begging to transfer from the School of Order to the school of Adrien... or...".

He thought, wondering what his alias could be. A sudden smile crept up his mouth. "Chat Noir".

Of course Adrien knew he was being vain, but he also knew that the office of admissions never reversed an invitation. He was painfully aware that he would have to make do with the hand fate had dealt him.

Only a few blocks away, a pair of bakers watched their daughter present her envelope to them. The paper seemed to be guilded in thin layer of gold paint, which matched the wax seal of the school. The fringes of the letter were decorated with the word "Miraculous".

She eagerly tore into the envelope and produced the letter. As she read the contents of the letter, her parents beamed with pride.

"Dear Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Miraculous School of Order for the following school year. We have taken the liberty of transferring your official school records. "

Her parents smiled and began to congratulate her, before she announced that there was more to her letter.

"Oh, right," Tom said, "now is the part where they tell you about your Kwami".

"Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, with the recent vacancy of the position of the Creation Miraculous, the Office of Admissions has spent countless hours searching for a qualified replacement. Of thousands of applicants, you have been selected."

"Tikki, the Ladybird Kwami, will instruct you on the capabilities of the earrings (your Miraculous). It is essential that you provide your Kwami with sustenance, as they will be providing you with your powers. Tikki is partial to sweets. It is reccomended that you begin to consider an alias fitting your power, as you will be asked to provide one on the first day of class. Note that this alias should not be associated with your civilian identity."

"We wish you the best this upcoming year, Mlle Dupain-Cheng."

"Signed,  
Headmistress Mendeleiev"

Her parents smiled. Two bakers should be able to provide a Kwami with all the sweets it would need.

"I'm so proud of you," her mother praised.

"We both are," her father added, "we still would have been proud if you got into the school of misfortune- ow!"

Sabine had not so subtly dug her elbow into his ribs.

"I mean, nothing is wrong with the School of Chaos," he recovered, "I'm just glad you've continued the family tradition as an Order student".

As the months went by, anticipation began to build up. Friends talked about who had been accepted, and to which school. Of course no one spoke about their secret identities; it was expressly forbidden, and everyone had heard horror stories of students being expelled for even being accused of revealing their identity.

As summer approached an end, the whisperings were brought to a boil. No one could seem to contain their excitement. That is everyone other than the isolationist/model Adrien Agreste.

Adrien knew that tomorrow he would meet his Kwami, Plagg. He would also find many new friends and acquaintances as he began his first year of public school. But for today, he would satiate himself with a pastry.

"How is my favourite baker?" He trilled as he opened the bakery door.

Marinette blushed. Every Sunday Adrien Agreste -The World Famous Model- went to her bakery to try one pastry.

"He-he-hey, Adrien," she stuttered, "How can help I yo- I m-mean who can I help- no, ugh... How...h-how can I help you?"

"One...hmm... let's try an eclair today, my friend," he sang back, graciously ignoring her festival of stutters.

Adrien honestly didn't know the girl's name, but he considered her to be one of his only friends. Between his very restrictive and busy lifestyle, and his dislike of disingenuous people, Adrien seldomly made friends. Therefore Chloe (his longtime friend), and pastry girl were the two people he felt any connection to.

"One e-eclair, comi-coming u-up," she blathered.

Adrien smiled, accepting the treat, and offered the fare for his trip to flavourtown.

"One beautiful pastry from an equally beautiful girl," he purred.

Marinette blushed, and offered a nervous giggle in return. As she noticed that there were no other customers in the bakery, she attempted small talk.

"S-so... e-excited f-f-for school?" she managed.

"I am very excited. I'll actually be attending on of the Miraculous Schools," he said proudly," how about you? Are you excited FUR school?"

Adrien smiled at the pun. Since he had learned he would become the holder of a cat Miraculous, he had become fascinated by the creatures.

He had also developed a bad habit of adding cat puns into everyday conversation; even when it wasn't always appropriate (The other day he had told his personal chef that his slightly below average dinner was PAWSitively CLAWful).

"O-oh? Y-y-yeah, Me too," she squeaked,"I g-got the S-s-sch-school of O-order... you?"

Adrien tried to sound proud.

"I was lucky enough to get into the School of Chaos. Maybe I'll see you around at a football game," he grinned.

Marinette shook her head in agreement, but her words seemed to fail her.

Adrien once again smiled at her, then walked out of the shop, pastry in hand.

"Good job Marinette," Sabine said, appearing from behind a door," you got 5 sentences out. I think that beats your previous record of 4 from several months ago. Pound it!".

Marinette allowed herself to fist bump her mother. It was the small victories that counted.

The day seemed to take forever, but eventually both Marinette and Adrien found themselves in bed, though sleep seemed to evade the pair. Adrien imagined the hundreds of friends he would make on his first day in giddy excitement, while Marinette conjured up every nightmare and horrid accident that could befall her.

What felt like minutes later, both heroes arose from their restless slumber. Adrien looked at his alarm clock. 6:50.

"Son of a-"

A few streets south of him, Marinette had the same realisation, as her father poked into her room.

"Marinette, are you going to be late for school?"

The two students threw on clothes and grabbed the slips of paper with their locker combinations. The school had sent them just days before school and both heroes were confused by the instructions.

They made it to their respective schools, which were adjacent to each other, only separated by a football field; a goal post standing in front of each school. Looking at the buildings, one could see they were nearly mirror images of one another, both had a main entrance on the north side, and confusingly 20 separate entrances on the south side.

The main difference was the pristine look of the School of Order, and the drab appearance of her sister school.

The students lined up outside of the southern entrances of the mirorred buildings. Everyone looked different. Some students were dressed in formal clothing, others sported jeans and tshirts. Some wore kempt hair, and others had scraggly coloured hair. Yet they all wore a common look of confusion.

As the students clustered together, the PA system but a stop to the bustling crowds.

Two voices spoke in eerie unison.

"New students of the Miraculous school of (the voices diverged with 'Order' and 'Chaos'), please form orderly lines based on the door number you have been assigned, and lock both doors. From there, open your assigned locker in the changing room, and open your Miraculous box. Your Kwami will complete your instructions".

The speakers suddenly blared back to life, as if something else had occurred to the announcers.

"We would also like to remind you that the forest to the west of the schools is strictly of limits to all students at this time".

And with that ominous announcement, silence filled the fields.

Marinette looked at the paper she had been sent.

Door:1  
Locker:1  
Combo: 12-23-41  
Tikki

She found herself first in line, and silently entered through the doorway. The room was a plain white, about 3 metres long by 3 metres wide. One wall was covered by 20 labelled lockers, the wall opposite of it hung a giant mirror, and the other pair of adjacent walls each had a door. Marinette quickly locked both doors and took a breath.

Marinette found locker number 1, and opened it. Inside was a small hexagonal black box, covered in thin red engravings.

Marinette gulped as she opened it. Inside were two earrings.

"Hi Marinette, I'm Tikki, the Kwami of creation and a Ladybird Kwami," the sweet voice of a small red being began, "I know you have a lot of questions, but I'll explain the basics, is that ok?"

Marinette nodded her head at the small flying creature that had appeared from thin air. She had seen Kwamis before, but never her own.

"Ok. First of all, you need to remember to keep your identity a secret. Do you have an alias chosen for when you walk out that door?" Tikki asked, pointing to the door opposite of the one Marinette had entered through.

"Y-yes," Marinette let out, then reminded herself that she had to be confident, "I mean, yes. I decided to go with Ladybug. Quick. Succinct. To the point".

Tikki beamed, "what an excellent choice Marinette! Now, to activate your transformation you will need to say 'spots on' and to deactivate it say 'spots off'".

She went over how to use miraculous ladybug, as well as lucky charm, and several of ger multitool's abilities.

"And one more thing Marinette. When you transform, I'll be pulled into your miraculous, so I won't be able to communicate with you until we separate."

The girl shook her head, then spoke.

"I think I understand Tikki. And by the way, my friends call me Mari".

"Mari? I love it!" The creature squealed in delight.

Marinette prepared to transform, then stopped.

"Oh, and do you like these?" She said pulling out a box of fresh macarons.

Tikkis eyes grew wide. And, as if to reply, she dove into them, mercilessly devouring the treats.

In room 1 of the other school, Adrien located his locker, also number 1.

He found a similar box and opened it to find a gorgeous silver ring, and the included Kwami.

"The name's Plagg. I was told you're Adrien. Listen up kid. First thing you need to know, 'claws out' is gets you the supersuit. 'Claws in' makes you you again. Also remember that you need a name. You picked one out?"

Adrien smiled. "Chat Noir."

Plagg sighed, "I suppose that isn't the worst name I've come across. Ok so-"

Adrien, assuming the speech was over, called out the phrase.

"Plagg, claws out!"

A flash of green light accompanied by several slick moves turned Adrien into his new Miraculous self. Chat Noir.

He looked at himself in satisfaction.

"I look good," he grinned.

The students found themselves in their classes, receiving the normal orientation class. It was a general 'get to meet the class', followed by an explanation of what classes to go to when.

Marinette sat in the Miraculous class, listening to the Headmistress go over the mundane details.

"And last," Headmistress Mendeleiev called, "each grade will form one football team, which will compete with other schools... including the Miraculous School of Chaos".

The class went quiet.

"I can't wait to join!" a girl in a fox uniform  
(Rena Rouge if Marinette remembered correctly) said.

"As if. The notion that you would make it on the team is utterly ridiculous," a bee suited student stung.

Rena grumbled to Marinette. "I can't stand her. By the way, I'm Rena. Rena Rouge".

"Ma... Ladybug," she recovered, "I'm Ladybug. And yeah, I hate snobby people. She doesn't even know you, how can she tell you aren't football material?"

Rena smiled. "I think I just made a friend".

Marinette fished through her rucksack and opened the box of macarons. Tikki had left one.

Marinette broke it in half, and offered the piece to Rena. "You most definitely did".

Across the field Adrien was talking to a turtle guy named Carapace.

"So dude, did you hear that some rich kid got sent to our school? Can you imagine how awkward he feels around the rest of us right now?" He laughed.

Adrien offered a polite giggle, which only made him look suspicious.

"Wait, it's not you, is it?"

Adrien sighed. "I don't want to be known as the rich kid. I just want to make friends".

"Sorry dude! If it helps, you can totally be my bro?" Carapace hastily apologized.

Adrien smiled. "I have a bro," he thought to himself.

By the end of the the morning both schools had formed football teams from their incoming classes. Not suprisingly the team captains were Ladybug and Chat Noir, the favoured Miraculous holders of their schools.

The in the past the schools had a rather bitter rivalry, but this year it seemed that the emnity was more competitive than aggressive. That is, until lunch, the time of the first game.

The school teams both met on the field, and the bleachers were packed (they had been packed an hour before the game).

As the game began, it seemed that the school of Chaos had an advantage. Chat Noir led an offensive that brought a goal in the first 30 seconds.

A chorus of intermingled boos and cheers echoed through the makeshift stadium. Marinette had frozen amidst the pressure.

"Captain, snap out of it. We need you, Ladybug!" Rena called.

That was enough to break Mari free, and she began to play with all her might. She scored a goal soon after, kicking the ball right between the legs of the goalie; a rather tall boy with short black hair and blond bangs.

Ladybug and Chat soon found one another as frustrating rivals. Whenever one had the ball, the other would guard them with ferocity. When someone tried to pass to their captain, the other captain intercepted it maliciously.

The game went on, eventually tying at 2-2.

By the end of the match, it had begun to rain, and the teams headed to their assigned areas to grab their things.

Adrien effortlessly opened his umbrella.  
It was black with little bubblegum bubbles dotted along the rim, a strange design, but it was one of his father's designs (Gabriel's only umbrella design), and Adrien only carried Gabriel brand apparel and accessories to avoid contention with his father.

Suddenly the bumblebee girl came from behind him and yanked the umbrella from out of his grasp.

"Thanks, I needed an umbrella," Queen Bee smiled snidely.

Marinette turned around to see Chat Noir grab a bublegum patterned umbrella from her teammate.

Even if Queen Bee was annoying, Ladybug refused to let some 'Misfortunate' underachiever take a 'Miraculous' student's things.

She yanked the umbrella from his hand.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," she rebuked, fuming.

"I think you misunderstood. I-" his words were cut off by an unnatural crunch.

Marinette had no clue what came over her. She had just acted without thinking.

Adrien felt a warm flow mix with the rain and cool sweat on his face. The salty taste confirmed his suspicion. Ladybug had given him a bloody nose.

Instantly he lashed out, punching her in the arm with all his strength.

Ladybug clutched her left shoulder. That was going to be a nice bruise.

At this point the students of both schools had begun to notice, and it quickly became an all-out brawl.

It was only when Headmaster Damocles and Headmistress Mendeleiev appeared that the fighting died down.

When asked who had started the fight l, Chat and Ladybug both raised their hands in defeat.

"In my office, now!" Each shouted to their guilty student.


	2. Miraculously misfortunate morning

**Hey everyone! **

**So, this chapter is written by me, and I hope you like it! Thank you for reading so far!**

**Let us know what you think :)**

"Explain young lady. I'm waiting."

Ms Mendeleiev's sharp voice echoed through her office. Ladybug bowed her head in disgrace, her actions and their consequences beginning to catch up on her.

"I-I," she began, hoping that she could think of an explanation on her feet. Actually, what was the explanation? She cringed, realising that there wasn't one. It was her first day of school and already she was in big trouble. On the bright side, at least it was to stand up for someone, so hopefully that would make things easier for her at school. But taking it out on a potentially innocent person, that was very wrong.

"Well?" her headmistress demanded, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her pointed nose. Tapping her fingers on her folded arms impatiently, she waited for an explanation from Marinette.

"I'm sorry Ms Mendeleiev. I don't know what came over me and I promise I won't do it again."

An uncomfortable silence hung over the room, filling it up with awkwardness and tension. Ladybug nervously shifted on her feet, head still hung in shame. Ms Mendeleiev sighed, clearly exasperated.

"I know it won't. So that's why this time there will be no punishment," she started, but after seeing her student practically illuminate with joy and relief she pressed on, "I said this time. Anything happens again you won't be so lucky."

"Yes Miss," Marinette replied, returning to the meek version of herself.

And with that, the headmistress nodded curtly, signalling that she was dismissed.

As Marinette descended the long spiral staircase that wound down from the headteacher's tower, she exhaled a shaky breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, consumed with regret. Had there really been any need to be so reckless and thoughtless with her actions?

From that point on, she decided that her Ladybug persona of confidence had gone too far, and she would do everything she could to make it up to the boy in the black cat suit.

"Explain yourself young man. Go ahead, I'm waiting."

Chat Noir leant against the stone wall, looking past Monsieur Damocles and out of the window.

They were up so high from the ground, and the height of the tower made the school seem so grand and old. The only place he'd ever seen two giant school houses like this was in storybooks. They were more like castles than schools. In fact, judging by the look of his school, it had been around for quite some time.

So maybe they were castles.

But why castles? Why not-

Monsieur Damocles cleared his throat impatiently. Chat Noir sprung off the wall and stood up straight, realising he was in more trouble than he thought.

"I was brutally attacked Sir. Honest! I don't know why that other girl hasn't been punished. Do you have dungeons here?" he asked, a cheeky tone to his voice.

The look of reply made him shut his mouth instantly.

Chat sighed.

"Ok, so I probably shouldn't have let it get so out of hand. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"I certainly hope not. Look, I know the students of Order may be a lot sometimes, but please, try not to react too much. You're not going to be punished this time," he finished, giving a slight nod to his student. Honestly, if he had been in the same position, he would've liked to do the same thing. But that was not the example to set at the moment.

"Yesss!" Chat sighed, pumping his fist in celebration, "thank you Sir. That's so pawsome of you."

M. Damocles frowned, clearly very confused.

What?

The puns had to be tested on someone.

He strode down the stairs back to join the lessons which were taking place that afternoon, not wanting to be late on his first day.

Replaying the fight in his head, his paces slowed to more of a prowl. He wasn't finished. He could've lost that fight and his new friends and a good reputation along with it.

He didn't need that at all.

From that point on, he decided he liked that he could be more chilled with his Chat persona, and he would do everything he could to get revenge on the girl in the red ladybug suit.

That night, in the west wing of the School of Chaos, Adrien was asleep, alone in his room.

Tossing and turning and rolling from side to side as he struggled to break out of the dream he was having.

The blue haired girl in the ladybug suit was beating him up again, except this time he was utterly powerless, completely helpless as he floundered in front of her, not fighting back.

It wouldn't have been so bad.

If the whole school wasn't watching.

And laughing.

And pointing.

And mocking.

And booing.

Everywhere he turned, he saw people: Carapace shielding his face in shame, embarrassed to have ever talked to him; his father hanging his head in his disappointment of a son; every one of his classmates laughing at him, knowing finally who the obnoxious rich kid was.

Now this was misfortune.

Adrien jolted up from his cramped bed that barely supported his muscly frame. His brow was laced with beads of sweat and so was his chest. He looked around his new temporary room, thankful he was there alone, and took in the interior.

Darkness has coated the room in a shadowy cloak, making everything look a more deathly shade of black. At the wall opposite the door there was a large double window which was partially covered with moth eaten curtains. But the wind must have blown them open because the moonlight had managed to slip through, illuminating the small desk and chair situated next to the door.

It was littered with some of Adrien's school books and equipment that he had received that afternoon from his classes. The rest of his possessions he had strewn in a pile in the corner of the room where he promised himself he would sort them out later.

He lay back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he replayed lunch in his head for what seemed the millionth time.

One thing was for sure now.

He didn't belong in this school of misfortune and mischief.

But she did.

And he'd make it his duty to prove to everyone that he was the one who truly deserved to be the hero of the School of Order, Miraculous' greatest triumph.

Not her.

When morning arrived the next day, Adrien rolled sleepily out of bed to the blaring beep of his alarm and trailed over to his bathroom, brushing his teeth. He almost forgot Plagg was there and since he was so unused to having him around, he completely forgot to feed the sleeping kwami, and transformed without another word.

Still in an awful mood, he trudged down the hundreds of stairs from the student sleeping quarters to where he presumed the dining hall was. He'd missed the school tour after yesterdays... eventful lunchtime. As he walked he passed dingy classrooms, carved out of stone and deserted as he followed the smell of food.

Eventually he reached the dining hall, lined with tables and decorated with black and grey furnishings. There were students in a variety of multicoloured spandex suits everywhere, sitting on top of and at tables as they talked. Some designs were simpler than others, some more intricate with various add-ons like animal ears and capes. Scanning the gaggles of students, Chat spotted Carapace, engrossed in conversation with a few other students some tables down.

He walked over to them and sat on top of the scratched wooden table.

"Morning Carapace."

"Morning Bro," he friend greeted as he fist-bumped Chat, "have you heard?"

Chat frowned uncertainly.

"What? No. What are you talking about?"

There was a series of bemused snorts from the others at the table. They had clearly been listening to the conversation.

This immediately made Chat Noir feel more uncomfortable. Everything was just confirming how much he was in the wrong school. But not for long.

A girl (Kagami) stood up from the table. She was dressed in a half red, half dark grey dragon themed suit that was separated by a wavy line down her middle. Down each arm ran four thin yellow lines and there were the same down both of her legs. She had a helmet of dark blue hair and amber eyes that stared at him as if simultaneously trying to work him out. She leant over the table, leaning on her hands.

"We've got assembly this morning. The only time we're allowed over to the other school. I'm really hoping to trip one of them up or something when the teachers aren't looking. Give them what they deserve, am I right?" she said, inserting herself into the conversation as if she'd been invited.

Chat turned and gave her a determined grin.

"Oh yeah. I'd love to take down that girl in the red. A bit of revenge."

The girl nodded slightly in approval.

A nudge on his shoulder made Chat spin around to see Carapace beckoning him to join the throng of students that were pouring out of the hall and through the back doors.

Chat Noir and Carapace weaved into the rush of students who were trying to exit the hall in the most manic way possible. As they went through the double doors, Chat noticed that there were members of staff either side of the door and as students passed them, they pulled them abruptly to the side before shoving them back into the crowd. Chat himself got yanked over to the left where a teacher with brown hair in a small bun at the nape of his neck stamped him on his wrist before shoving him back into the mob of students. In the rush, Chat Noir only just managed to catch the name that was emblazoned on the teacher's name badge.

M. T. Barbot

Chat hissed in pain.

Whatever M. Barbot had stamped onto him hurt.

A lot.

With a look at his wrist he saw that a lime green cat paw had been stamped there, and when he tried to rub it off, it just burned more and more.

"Ow!" he hissed again.

"You got one too?"

Carapace fell into step with him as they walked through a giant stone corridor.

_Why is everything in this school made of stone?_

His friend flashed his wrist at Chat, showing an identical green cat paw. The boys gave each other a questioning look, the same thoughts on their mind. This whole school thing was so overwhelming, Chat Noir felt like he was just being thrown straight into the deep end. He wondered what it would be like at the other school.

His wondering time was cut short.

The dragon girl had caught up to them, matching their pace and interjecting again.

"Apparently they're magic. Stops us sneaking into the other school in the middle of the day and going on a massacre," she snorted, laughing. Chat Noir and Carapace joined her.

Soon, they emerged from the back entrance of the school and out into the familiar clearing where Chat had waited on his first day.

They were walking in a spacious grassy clearing, bordered by luscious green forest that stretched back as far as Chat could see. There was a dark shadow of the trees cast onto the ground by the angle of the sun. This sent a shiver down Chat's spine.

Why, he had no idea.

Still walking, Chat Noir took in the appearance of the two schools, noticing they were a lot closer than he had thought. It was only now that he realised they were completely identical: both with wide arching double doors and a tower that soared into the clouds for the headmaster of that school. They were both gigantic, and the two main tower blocks of each building were connected with a small bridge, helping those who wished to move between them do so more easily. He could clearly see they had both been there for such a long time.

Well, he could with his school.

The outside closely resembled the interior as it was made of dull grey stone, although it was crumbling in places, bits of the school missing in a way that made the whole building look deserted. The school created a medieval, dilapidated image, with some small windows without glass and gargoyles leering at him from the... balconies? He squinted up at his where he worked out the bedrooms would be. From each window jutted a small balcony that looked out at the forest.

Now, Chat Noir considered himself to be clever. So of course he knew that not all the rooms had balconies, as there were only about five windows and some rooms would have been inside the school. But his room had a window.

Huh.

He guessed he should've paid more attention before he fell asleep last night.

Looking at the School for Order, he scoffed. Obviously they got to stay in the better castle. It explained why that girl got into it.

It had more authority than his school, and he had to admit, it was pretty breath-taking.

It was made of crystal and polished white marble.

Every tower and column was pristine and, well... perfect, glittering as the sun shone on it. Each ray of sunshine cast out a different colour of light, winking in the sun as he moved closer towards it. The closer he got, the more he admired it. The adjoining bridge was cut and chiselled perfectly, palatial flourishes engraved into the sides.

The stunning crystal doors were flung open grandly and the students were welcomed inside by smiling teachers and students from older years.

Chat scowled for about the fourth time that day.

_I knew I should be in here. It's already so much nicer._

Following the guides to the main hall, he played with the fantasy of what it would be like for students who lived here.

**_Earlier that morning..._**

"Good morning Tikki!"

Marinette sat up and stretched her arms, having had the most relaxing and nightmare free sleep she'd had in a long time. She felt so ready to start the day well, filled with determination to make this year a complete and total mess up.

Tikki flew to hover in front of her.

"Morning Marinette! Did you sleep well?" she asked, voice cuter than ever. Marinette didn't know whether to answer or squeal and give her kwami a hug.

"Yes. I did actually. For the first time in a long time. It must be this new bedroom."

She got out of her plush canopy bed and walked across the room, taking in her new surroundings.

The room seemed to be personalised to her miraculous, because some of the items in her room were painted deep red with black dots painted onto them. In the middle of the back wall, there was a large window with a black frame, and it was open enough so you could climb through and onto the balcony Marinette noticed was on the other side, made of sparking glass.

Her four-poster bed was positioned in the back corner of the room, the four pearly white posts that stretched up from each corner as brilliant white as the outside of the school.

Next to the door, her neat desk sat, all of her things arranged in uniform and waiting to be used.

There were other bits of furniture, spacious crystal wardrobes and cabinets with small trinkets, and the personalisation struck Marinette.

_They must have been preparing for my arrival for so long, _she thought, _it's amazing here. I can't mess this up._

The room was a true luxury, but as Marinette paced the soft carpeted floors brushing her teeth, she began to worry about the day ahead of her.

_What if I mess up?_

_What if I don't make friends?_

_What if I get expelled?_

_What if I get lost in between classes and then end up in some dungeons I can't escape from and then I miss every lesson and then I never graduate, and no one ever finds me down there and I die right there underground?_

Marinette slapped her forehead.

_Don't be stupid, _she thought.

"Don't worry Marinette. Everything will go great this year, I can just sense it. But you might want to hurry, you need to get down to breakfast," Tikki advised, seeming to read her new owner's thoughts.

With a stressed yelp, Marinette quickly gave Tikki a macaron from a box on her desk and transformed before sprinting down the stairs and following the helpful signs to the breakfast hall.

It was full of pristine tables arranged in neat rows and there were students of different years everywhere. On the walls hung paintings of the different miraculous and their kwamis, and as she entered, Ladybug admired each one.

"Ladybug! Hey girl!"

Rena Rouge's voice sounded from across the hall. Ladybug waved and went to sit with her friend, giving a friendly smile to the others who sat with her.

"Morning! Sleep well?" Rena asked, grinning at Ladybug.

"Yeah. The rooms are-"

"Massive. Yeah, we got lucky. The other school got the dodgy stuff. I guess we're just better than them," Rena interjected, clearly full of life and energy. Ladybug really liked her.

Better than them. Ladybug's stomach flipped in a pang of guilt. Yesterday lunch was still on her mind, and she was determined not to follow the general beliefs about the school rivalry.

"Maybe," she began thoughtfully, "you never know though, some of them could be really nice I guess."

Rena laughed as if Ladybug had told the world's funniest joke. She was accompanied by some of the others at the table.

"Nice?! Misfortunate more like. And anyways, you punched one of them yesterday! Don't tell me you forgot?" Rena said, a sassy tone to her voice.

Ladybug could tell she was messing around, but someone reminding her what she'd done out loud made her feel like such an awful person. Head in her hands, she groaned, regretting it so badly. When she thought about it, she didn't even know what had come over her.

"I wasn't thinking yesterday. At all. I really just want to apologise to him now," she sighed looking at Rena through a gap in her fingers. In an attempt to comfort her, Rena put a hand on the young superhero's back.

"Well, I think you're going to get your chance today."

Ladybug looked up at her, brow furrowed.

"We've got an assembly with them pretty much right now."

Ladybug turned to spot lots of her fellow students leaving the breakfast hall in orderly lines, groups chattering amongst themselves excitedly. Everyone sitting at their table got up and headed in the same direction. Ladybug and Rena were deep in conversation with a small girl with a blond pixie cut and a bubblegum pink suit with black legs and a black stripe around the neck (who, unknown to them, was Rose).

"I'm super super excited for mindset lessons! It's gonna be so much fun!" she squeaked, clasping her hands together in excitement.

"Me too!" Rena exclaimed, beaming.

Ladybug noticed that there were two teachers at the door who were waiting for students to pass. As Ladybug passed, a teacher with beautiful copper coloured hair and a sleek white suit smiled warmly at her as she took hold of her wrist and gently pressed a stamp against it. Ladybug smiled in thanks and continued on, staring at her wrist so much she nearly walked into the marble staircase leading down from the rooms.

On her wrist was a red circle with five black dots arranged in it. It glimmered in the light as she turned her wrist.

They entered the assembly hall which was just as stunning as the rest of the school, lined with rows of smooth wooden benches that were separated into blocks by about a metre gap in the middle. Ladybug saw that the students from the Misfortune side were bursting in through another door, and as they entered were being handed pieces of parchment. She began to look around and realised that there were more teachers handing out bits of the same parchment to the rest of her class. After being handed hers, Ladybug saw what the parchment had written on it in neat, cursive handwriting.

**Ladybug **

**Seat number: D 3 **

Row D.

But it was the third row. Ladybug frowned, puzzled. She looked up to try and read the other letters of the rows.

There were five rows with space for four students on each bench. After having a closer look, Ladybug saw that the letters of each row represented the schools. On the side she was sitting the rows spelt 'Order', and on the opposite side the rows spelt 'Chaos.'

_Very clever. _

Most people were already sat down, or as for the students in Chaos, kneeling on the seats and calling to each other, occasionally jeering at the students on her side who called back with a fresh wave of insults. Ladybug however was still dithering in the middle of the aisle. She scanned the seats to work out where hers was and dashed over, trying to squeeze past the people already in her row.

This was less than successful.

She caught her foot on the leg of the bench and went flying forward, arms flailing in the hopes of catching onto something to help herself back up.

The good news was, she caught onto something.

The bad news... it was someone.

She gasped as she fell on top of a boy in a teal and black suit, and flushed bright red when she realised that she was holding onto his bicep. He met her eyes, his a calming aqua that made her heart return to its normal, not-as-freaked-out pace.

"Are you ok?" he smiled at her, and she gawked back at him.

"Sorry, I mean to did ne – I mean I didn't mean to. I-I'm M... madly clumsy," Ladybug managed to get out.

On the bright side, he hadn't melted from the heat she was sure was radiating off her face right now. So, that was a positive.

His eyes sparkled and he gave her an amused smile.

"Nice to meet you Madly Clumsy. I'm Viperion."

Ladybug cringed. Did she seriously just let those words out of her mouth? Great.

Realising she was still clutching onto his arm awkwardly, she sat down quickly in her place and began to pray for the ground to open up and swallow her until she could graduate.

Since nothing happened, she knew she'd have to grudgingly continue her conversation with Viperion. She noticed he had blue hair to match his eyes and suit, which looked like it was patterned with snake scales, and he had an earring in his ear. Ladybug nudged him in the arm.

"My real alias is Ladybug. I-I'm sorry for falling into you," she blurted quickly before she could mess anything else up.

"Nice to meet you properly then, Ladybug. And it was my pleasure to be fallen into," he replied, eyes twinkling. Everything about him was so... so... tranquil.

Meanwhile, Chat had located his seat. He was sitting in row 'S' seat 2, next to the girl in the dragon suit and a tall boy in a bright orange chicken themed suit with yellow lines detailing his athletic frame (Kim).

He watched Ladybug and Viperion's interaction with a scowl plastered firmly onto his face.

"You don't fool me one bit. You might have everyone else under your spell, but not me," he laughed bitterly.

The girl in the dragon suit followed his gaze.

"You got a crush already? Shame. You seem cool."

Chat spun around, confused.

"Wha- me? No, no. Huh. You've got it all wrong. She's so irritating... wait, cool? Me?" he blabbered.

The girl shrugged and turned to the front as if no one had said a word.

Chat stuck out his hand.

"Chat Noir. And, you are?"

"Fireball."

And with that, she turned back around to face the front, her blunt lack of conversation startling him. Luckily for him, things couldn't get much more awkward because the assembly had begun.

"Good morning students. We hope you have all slept well and are ready to start the exciting new year here at the Schools for Order and Chaos," Ms Mendeleiev began formally.

"Now, if we ever do have assemblies, the School of Chaos will come here again and these are the seats you will sit in," Mr Damocles continues, taking over from his colleague.

"We've called you here today to go over some rules and information about your time here. Listen carefully as violation of these rules will lead to expulsion. Effective immediately. Now, some of you might be wondering what the stamps on you your arms are. These are magic tattoos that will stop folk entering the other school for a long amount of time. Failure to stay in your own school will make your tattoo burn, and if you are caught in the other school's premises without authorisation more than three times, you will be magically transformed into the animal of your miraculous. This is unbreakable," the purple-haired headmistress warned firmly.

Any whispers that had been going on quelled and a terrified silence swarmed into the hall, stealing the voices of everyone inside. Both teachers nodded in satisfaction.

"The second rule is a reiteration of something you were told yesterday. Surrounding the schools there are woods. Students aren't permitted to enter without the permission of teachers. This is for your own safety, as there have been many occasions where students have entered the woods and not returned. Those that managed to escape told of a vicious evil that lurks in the woods. So, those of you who think you're already heroes, try to enter the woods, you will most likely die."

"The last thing to mention would be your new timetables. Now, the teachers are coming around and handing out your lesson plans for the lessons that you will have every day. As soon as you are dismissed, you should head straight to the classroom you're meant to be in," Ms Mendeleiev explained as she signalled to the teachers, who were stood motionless at the sides of the hall. Like Ms Mendeleiev had pressed a button, they sprung to life, picking up the pieces of parchment and walking up and down the aisles, handing out the timetables. Ladybug got hers and studied it eagerly.

Ladybug

Miraculous- Ladybug Power- Creation

Mindset lessons (Chaos) Madame C. Bustier

Combat practice Monsieur P. Candeloro

Forest Defences (Chaos) Monsieur D'Argencourt

Power harnessing Monsieur T. Barbot

Strategic Thinking Madame N. Chamack

Her first lesson, Mindset, was a joint class she noticed, with some students from Chaos. She hoped the boy with the cat suit would be there too so she could apologise.

"What class are you in?"

Viperion had turned to her, parchment clutched in his hand.

"Um... mindset," she replied brightly.

"Hey! Me too. See you there then," he smiled before getting up and leaving.

When he was well out of earshot, Ladybug did a little happy squeal.

"Mindset class with cute snake guy? Me too! Ready to go?"

Rena gave her friend a knowing grin as she approached and linked her arm through Ladybug's. They followed the other students out of the doors. Just as they did, she spotted a blonde head with two black cat ears perched on top bobbing up and down a few people in front of them. She yanked Rena forward in an attempt to catch him up.

"Hey!" she greeted brightly, falling into step with him and Carapace, "I'm Ladybug. And... look, I'm so so sorry about yesterday, I don't know what came over me at all. I-I hope we can be friends."

Chat said nothing at first, just kept walking. Undeterred, she tried again.

"I hope you can forgive me."

Nothing.

Suddenly, he turned to her with a degrading expression on his face.

"Ladybug, is it? Yeah, well, I'm Chat Noir, and as for being friends, you'll have to work on that one by yourself. But thanks for the offer," he said breezily, making his disinterest abundantly clear.

Ladybug didn't care.

Any conversation was an improvement, so she'd take it.

She'd work on their friendship, even if he didn't want it.

Marinette:

_Well, that's the few hours of school successfully over. Or I suppose at least somewhat successful. I really love being in Order and I think the castle is beautiful. Tikki says that it was built years ago from my miraculous, which is so amazing. But when we were assembly, whilst being terrified of all the new rules, it was the first time I'd seen our whole year group together, Order and Chaos. And although we'd never even met each other before, there was so much rivalry between everyone, and I have no idea why. It's crazy when you think about it. I'm not about to go trying to break all of the barriers between schools, but I at least want to know why we can't be friends with other people from the other school. I mean, when I tried to speak to Chat Noir, he just froze me out. Well, I suppose I did punch him yesterday. Urgh, the worst part is I don't even think it even achieved anything, now he just hates me, but I'm going to try and do everything I can to make him my friend. Ooh, and before I forget, I have to tell you about the new friend I made today. Viperion. I can't believe I fell into him, I was super embarrassed, but secretly it felt like some sort of inciting incident from a movie when the two leads meet. I know it sounds stupid, but I think he might have felt the same! All of that is great and everything, but I'm bugged by this feeling that has been on my mind all day. I feel like Chat Noir believes that I don't deserve to be in Order, and I really just want to prove to him, and everyone else, that I do have what it takes to be here. _

Adrien:

_Today. Well, I'm so used to being lonely with my modelling, so it's great to finally have some friends at least, to ease the blow when I'm left alone with my thoughts. So, I suppose seeing Carapace has helped me forget some of what I'd been dreaming about, everything with Ladybug. It's like she's been imprinted on my brain and she's all I've thought about for the whole of this morning. I'm actually disappointed in myself. She's just so... so... lucky. But the tables have turned now, because today she was practically begging me for for my friendship. That's right. I was so pleased with myself, and I think I've decided that will be how I exact my revenge. I'm going to leave her hanging on, using it to my advantage. It's just so annoying how she's managed to work her way into my mind, especially when there are so many other things and people to be thinking about, like Fireball. Yeah. She seems sort of nice. You know, in a cold, direct, emotionless kind of way. And those rules in assembly! Those teachers need to calm themselves down. Thanks to them, I'm now terrified that I'm going to accidentally cross some invisible line a couple of times and the next thing I know I'm waking up as a cat. That would be pawsitively awful! Then, I wouldn't be able to model for Father anymore, and that would mean letting him down, which I really don't want to do. Especially after losing my mother, I can't let him down. So, I guess I'll just have to make sure I follow the rules as best I can, and hopefully if I excel at everything, they'll realise they have made a mistake, and they will fix my school. They'll fix everything. _


End file.
